


Close Your Eyes

by Rainbow_Transform



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cannon Divergence, Episode: s01e04 The Poisoned Chalice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-15 16:08:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13034685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainbow_Transform/pseuds/Rainbow_Transform
Summary: Uther took the flower with him.





	Close Your Eyes

Arthur’s let out of the bars three days after Merlin dies. The flower is gone, Uther took it with him and he wouldn’t give it to Gaius. 

 

“Arthur,” Uther greets warmly when he comes by.

 

“Sire,” Arthur says, eyes straightforward. His mouth tightens when Uther claps a hand onto his shoulder but he doesn’t look over. 

 

“Let us rejoice for the boy who’d given his life to keep my son alive!” Uther says, and the crowds’ murmurs of “what?” “Merlin?” “no,” made Arthur’s eyes tear.

 

Arthur said nothing else.

* * *

 

“Do you have to go?” Arthur asks, voice quiet like he’s a child again. Gaius stops packing his things, and closes his eyes - fingers gripping his satchel. 

 

“Yes, sire.” He tells Arthur. “I must inform Merlin’s mother.”

 

“Can I come?”

 

Gaius sits down next to Arthur. “I know what you’re thinking, Arthur. But you can’t run from this. You are the heir to the throne. If you manage to escape - and I know you can - Uther will tear this world apart just to find you. And when he does, he’ll chain you like he did the Great Dragon, and you won’t be able to leave.”

 

“Why? Why did he do this, Gaius?” Unshed tears glimmered in Arthur’s eyes.

 

“Your father… is a horrible, horrible father,” Gaius tells. “He conceived you by magic, believe he was an exempt of the Old Religion’s rules.”

 

“What?”

 

Gaius pats Arthur’s shoulder. “I shall explain more when I return.”

 

“Gaius!”

* * *

 

Uther sits at the table, eating. “So, Arthur, what do you think of your new servant?” He leans forward, eyes bright. 

 

Arthur doesn’t say anything.

 

“Arthur?” Uther snaps. He narrows his eyes. “Speak.”

 

Morgana sits across from Arthur, and she leans her hand over. “Are you okay, Arthur?” She asks him and he jerks his hand away quickly. Standing up, he excuses himself with forced politeness (only to the servants in that room) and exit the dining room, the sering boy following behind him like a dog with a master.

* * *

 

_ “What shall we do?” _

 

_ “What are we willing to do?” _

 

_ “Uther did a terrible thing.” _

 

_ “And he killed our Emrys.” _

 

_ “Balance is upset.” _

 

_ “Nimueh did the same. She was the one who poisoned our Emrys.” _

 

_ “They both must be punished.” _

 

_ “What shall we do?” _

 

_ “What can we do?” _

* * *

 

Uther’s eyes flicker toward Camelot. “What?” He asked, brows furrowing.

 

“Sire, the crops have all burned. The water is gone; the Great Dragon has escaped it’s bonds; Camelot is burning.”

 

“We have some crops stored up, yes?”

 

“Sire… the… those crops have been eaten.”

 

“ _ Eaten _ ? How?”

 

“Wild animals. Hawks, eagles, deer, bears.”

 

“How did a bear get into Camelot,  _ and _ out?”

 

“We know not, Sire.”

* * *

 

_ “We cannot let them all die. The Once and Future King needs to rule Camelot - and the people.” _

 

_ “The people, the people! Pah! They’d allowed this!” _

 

_ “They did not. Blame them not.” _

 

_ “Poor, poor Emrys.”  _

 

_ A hand floats over the sky, and it upturns a beautiful, magic-filled soul. The Old Religion shrieks as the hand plucks it away.  _

 

_ “Mine, mine, mine!” The Old Religion screams, her shrieks louder than her words. Non-magic and magic users clap their hands over their ears as they listen. Only one boy - man - still stands, hands not over his ears, but listening. _

 

_ “Oh, quiet down. We’re going to give him back.” _

 

_ “Mine, mine, mine!” She screamed again.  _

 

_ “Quiet her down.”  _

 

_ The hand holds up the Soul, and they all sigh heavily. “Our Emrys,” they sigh. _

* * *

 

Nimueh gasped for breath. Something is choking her. She takes a tiny breath, and chants an incantation - a healing spell. Her throat grows tighter and she begins choking. 

 

She wonders what is happening, and voice whispers, deep in the back of her mind:

 

_ “This is how My Emrys felt.” _

* * *

 

_ “She’s dying, she’s dying, she’s dying,” the Old Religion cheers. The gods hush her quickly, and are trying to rock the Soul back to sleep. _

 

_ “There you go, little one,” they whisper. “Back to sleep, Emrys, back to sleep.” _

 

_ The Soul’s brightness fades just slightly. “There we go, there we go,” they whisper.  _

 

_ “Give him. Mine. Give him.” The Old Religion whispers. “Give him, mine.” She keeps saying.  _

 

_ “Hush. Balance is not right.” _

 

_ “Balance is wrong.” _

 

_ “Balance is wrong.” _

 

_ “Balance is wrong.” _

 

_ “Balance is wrong.” _

 

_ “Yes, balance is wrong.” _

* * *

 

Merlin opens his eyes.


End file.
